#129819 - 08/09/08 05:52 PM
Spinal fusion mid thoracic down to the pelvis. An
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August1991
Junior Member
Registered: 08/09/08
Posts: 3
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Hi, I am a C-7 quad with good hands and a very long unstable spine. After 17 years i have worn out several discs in my back and have had un-real amounts of pain both muscle/skeletal and neurogenic pain more and at higher intensity the last months.
My spine is colapsing on itself where a couple of discs are shot to the point they need to be fused together with bone, pins, screws, plates, and rods.
I'm going to loose flexibility and have a long hard recovery.
Anyone know any one who had/has it done. Mine may go all the way to the pelvis and up to T-8. Should give my upper muscles a good foundation but I'll be fairly ridged.
Any advice or suggestions or just let me know that there are people who have been through it and are still independent.
The risks are bad. Like blindness, more paralysis, stroke. I could also shed so much pain.
Thanks,
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#132730 - 09/04/08 04:49 PM
Re: Spinal fusion mid thoracic down to the pelvis. An
[Re: August1991]
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paradocs
Member
Registered: 11/20/04
Posts: 2323
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I'm not a traumatic quad but a post-polio. I had a spinal fusion of about the length you mention in 1960 due to scoliosis (spine curving because of muscle weakness). I'm sure techniques have improved since then but it was not plesant for me. As a spinal cord injury there may be a point below which you have no sensation but I didn't have that "luxury" and the pain was INTENSE! To make matters worse I had a bad reaction to whatever anesthetic and/or pain killers they gave me and retched (causing more pain) for almost a week. The surgery had to be done in two stages and for the second I refused post-op pain killers and had less trouble.
I was in a combination of body casts and braces for roughly 3 years -- two years pre-op, trying to straighten my spine as much as possible, and one year post-op, to support the grafts while they healed completely. After surgery I could not sit for almost six months while the doctors made sure the bone grafts "took." (The grafts were from a bone bank and not from me.)
Today there is a Harrington strut (named for its inventor) that is used for some scoliosis patients but I don't know if it would work in your degenerative case.
In my case I had no pre-surgery spine pain except for the discomfort of the braces and casts and have not had any since getting out of post-op ICU. There was no mention of the complications you listed so I don't know if it was lack of informed consent or if they didn't apply in my case.
The biggest inconvenience I have had is not having a spine that bends. I had to learn how to position myself to see reading materials, food, hold eating utensils, get in and out of a vehicle without banging my head, etc. I also have to get the opthamologist to take into consideration the fact that I can't place books in the "normal reading position" when s/he prescribes glasses.
But, for me it has been almost 50 years and my scoliosis didn't crush my lungs, so I guess it was worth it.
I hope this helps in your case.
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#144423 - 01/07/09 05:56 PM
Re: Spinal fusion mid thoracic down to the pelvis. An
[Re: paradocs]
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August1991
Junior Member
Registered: 08/09/08
Posts: 3
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Well I ended up with a better alternative to bone on bone and such a drastic fusion.
My neurosurgeon is Dr. Tyler Koski @ Northwestern Memorial Hospital right down town Chicago with a view of Lake Michigan.
I had enough good discs and was determined a good candidate for a minimally invasive procedure called a D LIF or DLIF. Direct interbody lateral fusion. I was in much less pain and they only fused 3 vertebrae and used bone growth hormone to put the space back in my spine realign it all through my right side then added a rod(s) and screws but they were able to make small cuts through the back muscles and tissue and affix it all in the position they wanted.
I'm still recovering but so much less pain and my spine and posture are much better now. All I can say to Dr. Koski is Thank you and wow for technology. They did active imaging while they did the procedure. It took 8 hours but 2 of those were getting me in position for it. I'm still flexible but no very unstable.
Wow
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#146599 - 02/19/09 04:02 PM
Re: Spinal fusion mid thoracic down to the pelvis. An
[Re: August1991]
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paradocs
Member
Registered: 11/20/04
Posts: 2323
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I'm glad technology is making surgeries less painful. I hope you will continue to improve.
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#172046 - 11/15/09 09:59 PM
Re: Spinal fusion mid thoracic down to the pelvis. An
[Re: paradocs]
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kysilver77
Junior Member
Registered: 10/16/09
Posts: 23
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Hey August,
I had surgery for pretty much the same thing. Mine is a long transition from quad to some what normal For 40 years. my injury was in 1962,I was paralized for arouund 2 yrs and in that time I had recovered enough to go back to work. The time from then until 1999 was alright with problems, pain, falls, alot of things. As I got older age started to put more and more pressure on my spin spinal cord. In 2000 my doctors went in from the front of my neck and fused c4, c5 c6. with a couple of titanium rods and a lot screws. They got the bone from a cadaver, It takes longer to heal, but you do not have the place hurting where they they take the bone for the place they insert. I also had 3 disk replaced. The surgery took about 13 hours, after that I had to were a brace for almost a year, it was'n as bad as it sounds. I still have a lot of pain, but the doc told me goin in that this would be like it is. as far as being stiff, I noticed that it was a little more so. I go to therapy 2 times a week and the gym at least 3 times a week. I am not running hurdles but I have movement. I use a wheelchair in the house, if we are going to a mall I have a scooter. I am 65 and doing pretty good. You can not sit around, you need to exercise to make it work. So if the doctors tell you that it will be a little stiff, tell them you can beat it because you a lot of people behind you.
Take care and fight it,
And May God Bless,
Eddie
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#173551 - 11/26/09 03:46 AM
Re: Spinal fusion mid thoracic down to the pelvis. An
[Re: kysilver77]
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MrsDrublic
Member
Registered: 04/03/09
Posts: 926
Loc: los angeles ish
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that is awesome to hear! yay u for fighting n making all the progress u can!
_________________________
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#187503 - 06/02/10 12:12 AM
Re: Spinal fusion mid thoracic down to the pelvis. An
[Re: MrsDrublic]
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sagan
Junior Member
Registered: 06/01/10
Posts: 1
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I am senthilkumar 25 years old Virudhunagar, Tamilnadu in India.
When i was doing my (2005) 2nd year BE(Bachelor of Engineering) at Kalasalingam college in krishnankovil, Virudhunagar district .Tamilnadu, India
I met with an accident in which i had my spinal cord damaged.Following the damage i lost my sense under hip (paraplegia) Though for four years had elapsed since the occurrence of the accident .I am unable to walk in sort,
I feel fish out of water in all respects. I don`t know what do to .I do request the you to render all sorts of help for my betterment as my family is n`t in a position . please help me
Edited by sagan (06/02/10 12:13 AM)
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#187934 - 06/15/10 10:40 PM
Re: Spinal fusion mid thoracic down to the pelvis. An
[Re: sagan]
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christianne
Junior Member
Registered: 06/15/10
Posts: 1
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Hi there-
19 years ago I had an anterior/posterior spinal fusion. I am fused from my hips to above my shoulder blades. I have only 6 vertebra that are not fused. I have constant pain every day, especially when the weather is humid...if the humidity is over 65% I am in agony. I have spinal stenosis from my arthritis and the bone growth is growing so rapidly that almost every nerve in my back is being pushed on and I have mostly pain everywhere but I have nasty flare ups where I can feel shooting pain inside my body and it is just unbearable! I started seeing a pain management doctor about a year ago and have been getting Marcaine/ Kenalog injections every three weeks, sometimes I only get relief for five days and then it's back to square one. I have been diagnosed with Chronic Myofasial Pain. I keep a pain journal and have only had 3 pain free days this year. I am 39 years old and sometimes getting out of bed to make coffee is an ordeal. I live alone and can only bring up one bag of groceries up my steps at a time. It's not a good way to live and very frustrating. Above my fusion I have a lot of wear and tear on my vertebra and a few bulging disks. I feel most days that someone is hitting me with a baseball bat and the sensation never goes away, unless I am asleep. I was reluctant to take any pain killers but now I take Soma when I am home and I take Vicodin all day long....sometime 8 or 9 per day. I work full time and I sit at the computer all day long. By lunchtime I cannot feel anything below my hips...just numbness. I am seeing a neurologist on Wednesday to see if he can do some more advanced trigger point injections that will help me better than what I am receiving now, but I am doubtful. I am on FMLA at work and take almost one day a week off which stinks but when I can't even dress myself or get down my steps for the pain, it's the only thing I can do. Just rest. But that is depressing in itself, just laying around alone does not help and people really do not understand. Do I have to live like this forever? The Vicodin only takes the edge off that's it. I thought it would do more but my pain is deep and persistent. When I take the Vicodin it feels like I am taking Tylenol but I am afraid to take anything stronger as I do not want to get addicted and be a zombie. That is not a satisfying life for me as I am as active as I can be. I get Chiropractic care for the disks that can move and do a massage every week but it's only a temporary fix. I do light exercises at the gym, I stretch everyday and now that it's summer I joined the pool near me and try to swim everyday, if I can drag my but there! If there's anyone out there that has any suggestions, I would love to hear them. I am at the point where I am reduced to tears a few times a week as when I had the surgery I thought I would be all better but since I had bone harvested from my hips, shoulder blades and ribs everything hurts! My surgeon never told me about the side effects that would plague me 2 decades later but I had to have the surgery as my curvature was 80% and my ribs were starting to constrict my lungs. I had no choice in the matter. My e-mail is ***@**** and would love to hear from anyone that is suffering as I am. I just keep praying for myself and everyone out there like me that is suffering from Chronic Pain. God bless and hopefully I will hear from anyone that is in pain like me.
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#190378 - 07/29/10 05:06 PM
Re: Spinal fusion mid thoracic down to the pelvis. An
[Re: August1991]
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luanne55
Junior Member
Registered: 07/29/10
Posts: 3
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In Feb., 2008, I walked into the ER with a headache and 5 months of excrutiating back pain. In June, 2008, I left the hospital in a wheelchair and a body brace - the result of a yeast infection on my spinal cord. I had a lot of tissue degeneration and necrosis and injury to the cord after two debradements. My spine was very unstable.
In January, 2009, I had T8-S1 fusion with instrumentation. Titanium rods, 16 screws, and 3 cross braces. My x-rays are very cool.
My upper body was not affected, so my hands arms and shoulders work like before. I have strength in my legs, so I can transfer easily as well as stand up when needed. I can't walk yet, but I'm starting more physical therapy soon.
I want to address the pain issue. I took Oxycontin until March of this year, ranging from 100 mg a day in 2008, to just 20 mg a day, to Percocet as needed, to zero finally. I had to taper down because my body had become used to having narcotics, and yes, withdrawal was an issue. I experience soreness and stiffness and unpleasant sensations in my back and lower body, but it's okay. Obviously, the surgery has improved over time and having it done now is not as traumatic as in the past.
If it matters, I was 52 when this all started.
Tolerance to pain medication is not addiction. Taking enough pain medication, as prescribed, to have a better quality of life is not addiction. Addiction is a lifestyle that destroys mind, body, and spirit. Please don't deny yourself relief from pain.
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#190430 - 07/30/10 01:54 PM
Re: Spinal fusion mid thoracic down to the pelvis. An
[Re: luanne55]
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shakey56
Member
Registered: 03/31/04
Posts: 1889
Loc: where the wild roadrunners roa...
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Luanne,
Don't kid yourself. Any long term use of narcotics risks addiction. Whether it is prescribed or illegally obtained is irrelevant. Withdrawal indicates but doesn't have to be addiction. I agree pain medication should be used as needed, but it can be just as addictive as any illegal drug.
_________________________
Against logic there is no armor like ignorance.
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